Newt Gingrich: “I want to rise for just a moment to call the Members' attention to several members of the leadership staff who are…”

“I want to rise for just a moment to call the Members' attention to several members of the leadership staff who are leaving and to point out that when we look at the complexity of this institution, at how many different things have to work in order for us to be successful, that the very hard work of our staff members is a key part of how this institution works, whether it is our personal staff or committee staff or in the case of leadership, members of the leadership staff. In my case, I am rising tonight to recognize Len Swinehart, who is celebrating today his 50th birthday and spent the last two weeks totally immersed in helping the appropriations process and finishing up the budget agreement with the President. Len has served here since 1976, when he came as a special assistant to Representative Harold Sawyer of Michigan. He went on from there to be administrative assistant to Vin Weber and then to become the deputy minority staff director on the House Committee on the Budget, and then became my floor assistant when I was the whip and finally floor assistant to me as Speaker. He has worked in particular on budget and appropriations matters. Let me just say that Len has had a tremendous impact on this institution.”